July 21st, 2008 – When I received the news I thought I was dreaming, that I was the victim of a terrible nightmare. It couldn’t be true what I was hearing from Roberto Malini of EveryOne, an organisation based in Italy dedicated to the defence of human rights and international cooperation.

Two young Roma girls aged 11 and 12 had drowned on Torregaveta beach in Naples in strange circumstances. The girls were on the beach selling shells and suddenly – so unusual! – they felt the need to go for a swim. Their dead bodies were lain out on the sand fully-dressed. But the girls were not alone. There were four of them. The two surviving children, younger than the two girls who drowned, were stopped and identified by the authorities.

We can’t but wonder why they weren’t immediately handed back to their parents. Why isn’t anyone giving a plausible explanation for what really happened? But all this, despite being very serious, is not the worst aspect of this story. This morning, Maria, my young lawyer assistant came into my office after hearing the news and said: “Have you seen the photos published by EveryOne on their website?”

A sense of foreboding. But to tell the truth I was already reading it on Maria’s face. I opened the website page and even now I find it hard to think that human beings can reach such a level of insensitivity, hardness of heart and disregard for the human condition as the two bathers shown in the photo next to the bodies of the two poor Roma children.

Roberto Malini, leader and committed activist in the cause for Roma rights confirmed the news. Violetta and Cristina (the names of the young girls) drowned in the sea. “After the tragedy came the disturbing reaction of many people on the beach: the bathers continued to eat their lunch and sunbathe as though nothing had happened”. “We recovered the bodies among general indifference” said Pasquale Desiato, the ambulance driver, indignant.

It’s terrible, unbelievable. The poor Romni children lying dead on the sand and all those people sunbathing just a few metres from their bodies. People continued to swim, drink and eat next to the dead bodies of the unfortunate children.

And even when the undertakers arrived to lay their little bodies in the small coffins the bathers didn’t move. Without losing their composure They carried on sunbathing while the terrible scene took place under their sunburnt noses and their half-naked bodies lying on the sunbeds and sand.

My God, my God. What’s going on? The poor children were taken out of the water fully-dressed. Their bodies lay on the sand, half-covered, for over two hours “surrounded by general indifference”, said a rescuer.

There are no words to express my pain. I just want to raise a prayer to heaven with the following message, which are the words of a famous song: "Sólo le pido a Dios que el dolor no me sea indiferente. Sólo le pido a Dios que lo injusto no me sea indiferente. Sólo le pido a Dios que el futuro no me sea indiferente" (All I ask of God is not to let me become indifferent to suffering. All I ask of God is not to let me become indifferent to injustice. All I ask of God is not to let me become indifferent to the future”).

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